設計用途：
反艦潛艇
制造方：
卡茲米諾夫（Kazminov）設計局
原產(chǎn)國：
蘇聯(lián)
量產(chǎn)方：
蘇聯(lián)海軍船塢
主要特征：

• RU-7“Morena”輕量級魚雷發(fā)射管x2

• RU-20“Shkval”超空蝕魚雷發(fā)射管x2

• 高壓鈦合金船體內(nèi)殼

• “Radenko”雙螺旋槳推進系統(tǒng)

歷史資料：
???? 近些年來，蘇聯(lián)在海上本著寧殺錯，不放過的侵略方針，無數(shù)平民貨船和載客郵輪葬身大洋。阿庫拉攻擊潛艇，這種深海殺手能悄無聲息地置人于死地，常常被當作蘇聯(lián)侵略的象征。有艘盟軍貨船曾恰巧撈到一個蘇聯(lián)水手，當時這名水手孤零零地漂在海里，距所有已知的蘇聯(lián)海軍都有數(shù)英里之遠。此前，阿庫拉潛艇的惡名可謂是廣為流傳，而關于其的大部分細節(jié)內(nèi)容卻一直無人知曉。
???? 這名水手是個目不識丁的農(nóng)民，進入蘇聯(lián)海軍服務也非自愿，之前在K-420號阿庫拉潛艇上服役。他在進行維護魚雷管的日常作業(yè)時，不慎弄壞了魚雷的推進裝置，一艘毫無防備盟軍船只就這樣幸免于難。艇長面不改色地發(fā)出指令，要求這名水手要趁敵人逃走之前修好設備。之后，艇長將這枚有問題的魚雷和一臉驚愕的水手一起打了出去。自此，這名水手逃離了服役的命運，游到海面等待救援。
???? 阿庫拉潛艇依靠其隱秘性和破壞力擊敗對手。
???? 盟軍指揮官們從這名水手上審訊出證據(jù)，一片一片地拼湊出阿庫拉潛艇的故事。蘇聯(lián)在設計時就清楚，蘇聯(lián)海軍需要一款強大的艦船殺手，而且還必須讓未經(jīng)專業(yè)訓練，甚至是沒有航行經(jīng)驗的人也能操縱。最終，蘇聯(lián)選擇用RU-7魚雷作為阿庫拉主武器，此款魚雷基于上一代蘇聯(lián)魚雷設計，經(jīng)時間的證明，可靠、有效，即便沒有經(jīng)驗的人也能輕松操作。
???? 蘇聯(lián)的指揮官還意識到，他們還需要更強大的武器以對抗那些更大、裝甲更厚的新一代海軍船艦，于是阿庫拉艦隊便裝備上了新型RU-20“超空蝕”魚雷——無論是尺寸還是威力，都堪稱魚雷里的怪物，阿庫拉殺傷力進而更上一層樓。不過，為了保證RU-20魚雷的可靠性，其發(fā)射頻率很低，抵消了極強破壞力的優(yōu)勢。
???? 除了阿庫拉潛艇的種種技術規(guī)格，被捕獲的水手還透露了艇上生活的情況。蘇聯(lián)海軍發(fā)了瘋似的進行行動，阿庫拉潛艇也就一次都要在水下待上幾年時間。船員們在這漫長旅途中住在狹窄的營房內(nèi)，于大洋深處鬼鬼祟祟地尋找獵物，船員因此而罹患嚴重的心理疾病，阿庫拉潛艇的艇長則采用鐵腕手段來維護紀律和戰(zhàn)力。失敗，不容存在，斥責，不留情面。有些人批判說這種極端的工作環(huán)境，不利于阿庫拉完成其任務，但阿庫拉對抗敵人海軍的壓倒性實力已經(jīng)證明了自己的出色。失敗的代價似乎確實磨礪了船員和潛艇，使阿庫拉成為一樣致命殺器。

戰(zhàn)場筆記：?通過戰(zhàn)地偵察，已獲悉阿庫拉潛艇至少具有以下幾個特征：

• 下潛！下潛！——阿庫拉潛艇大多數(shù)時候都深居水下，只有用RU-7魚雷攻擊時才需要浮出水面。由于大部分海面作戰(zhàn)單位和空軍都沒有反潛能力，阿庫拉潛艇就能不受阻攔地穿梭于多個水域，出色地護航像無畏戰(zhàn)列艦這樣更脆弱的艦船，同時也能對敵方海軍基地實施有力的打帶跑作戰(zhàn)行動。

• 雷霆一擊——RU-20“超空蝕”魚雷破壞力驚人，但卻沒有制導系統(tǒng)，好處就只有不用上浮就能發(fā)射罷了。這種超級魚雷不能鎖定目標，只能沿直線游行，還不能分清敵友，曾不止有一艘蘇聯(lián)船只因為碰巧經(jīng)過這款大殺器的路徑而沉沒于海底。

• 對峙能力——蘇聯(lián)的敵人們已經(jīng)開始部署防御建筑，能鎖定、擊毀下潛狀態(tài)的阿庫拉。RU-20魚雷射程極遠，有眼光的指揮官都會用它們來對付這些防御建筑。

• 高級科技——由于使用鈦合金打造船體，阿庫拉的價格非常高昂，而且蘇聯(lián)海軍部交付給指揮官這些潛艇時也很保守，不愿多給。此外，區(qū)域內(nèi)還必須有超級發(fā)電站為阿庫拉艦載高級電池充電。所以通常只有在交火最猛烈的區(qū)域才能看見阿庫拉的身影。

Designation: Anti-ship Submarine

Manufacturer: Kazminov Design Bureau

National Origin: U.S.S.R.

Mass-Produced at: Soviet Naval Yard

Key Features:

? RU-7 Morena Lightweight Torpedo Tube (x2)

? RU-20 Shkval Supercavitating Torpedo Tube (x2)

? High-Stress Titanium Alloy Inner Hull

? Twin Rotor Radenko Propulsion System

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history

Recent years have seen the Soviet Union pursuing an aggressive policy towards all perceived threats to its waterways, including the sinking of numerous civilian cargo ships and passenger liners. Emblematic of this attitude is the Akula Attack Sub, a stealthy and deadly undersea killer that is often held up as a symbol of Soviet aggression. For all of its notoriety, however, details about the Akula were largely a mystery until an Allied cargo ship found a Soviet sailor adrift in open waters, miles from all known Soviet naval forces.

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The sailor, an illiterate peasant impressed into the Soviet naval service, was a crewmember of the Akula Sub K-420. During regular maintenance of one of the Akula's torpedoes, he had inadvertently damaged that torpedo’s motor, preventing an attack on the undefended Allied ship. The captain, uncharacteristically calm, ordered the sailor into a loaded torpedo tube to attempt a repair before the enemy escaped. He then ejected the crippled torpedo into the ocean along with the surprised sailor, who, resigned to his fate, swam to the surface to await capture.

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The Akula sub rely on stealth and overwhelming force to defeat their enemies.

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Based on evidence like that gleaned from the Soviet sailor’s interrogation, Allied commanders have been piecing together the story of the Akula Sub. During its design, the Soviet navy knew it needed an effective ship killer, but also that they would have to crew these ships with poorly trained crews, often with no maritime experience. As a result, they chose the RU-7 torpedo as the Akula's main weapon. Based on the previous generation of Soviet torpedoes, the RU-7 is a time-tested design, reliable, effective, and easily used even by an inexperienced crew.

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Soviet commanders realized, however, that an even more powerful weapon was needed to deal with the new generation of larger, more heavily armored naval vessels, so the Akula fleet was also given the new RU-20 "supercavitating" torpedoes. Monstrous in size and power, the RU-20s give the Akula an immense destructive capability. However, their power is offset by a slow firing rate, trading a lengthy loading and firing sequence for high reliability.

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Beyond the technical specifications of the sub, the captured sailor also gave insight into life aboard an Akula. The frantic pace of Soviet naval operations requires Akulas to stay at sea for years at a time. These long tours, in cramped quarters, skulking under tons of ocean while searching for prey, take a heavy psychological toll on the crews, and Akula captains use a heavy hand to maintain discipline and combat effectiveness. Failure is not tolerated, and reprimands are harsh. Some critics argue that these extreme conditions are detrimental to the Akulas’ ability to carry out their missions, but their overwhelming effectiveness against enemy naval forces indicates otherwise. Indeed, the price of failure seems to be the whetstone that hones both crew and sub into such a deadly weapon.

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notes

Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about the Akula Sub:

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? Dive! Dive! -- Akula Subs spend most of their time submerged, needing to surface only to target their RU-7 torpedos. Since most surface and air units are unable to target submerged vehicles, Akulas are able to travel most waters with impunity. They excel at escorting more vulnerable ships, such as the Dreadnought, as well as carrying out hit and run operations against enemy naval bases.

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? Heavy Hitter -- The RU-20 supercavitating torpedoes are extremely powerful, but they carry no internal guidance. This allows them to be fired underwater; but they cannot track targets, travelling instead in a straight line. They also lack the ability to distinguish friend from foe, and more than one Soviet ship has been sunk because it accidentally crossed in front of one of these devastating weapons.

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? Stand-Off Capability -- Enemies of the Soviet Union have begun fielding defensive structures that can target and destroy even submerged Akula subs. The RU-20's extreme long range and destructive power makes it the weapon of choice for the discerning commander to take out these defenses.

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? High Tech -- Their titanium alloy hull make Akulas very expensive, and the Soviet Admiralty dole them out sparingly to field commanders. In addition, they require a Super Reactor to charge their advanced batteries. This means that Akulas are usually only found in the most intense combat zones.